Irregular verbs are those that do not follow the same conjugation model according to a given tense and mood, and undergo changes both in their radical and in their ending.
As in the Portuguese language, this is also what differentiates irregular and regular verbs in Spanish.
The stem of a verb is everything that comes before the termination of its form in the infinitive.
in the verb judging, for example, "jug-" is the stem and "-ar" is the ending.
In Spanish, as well as in Portuguese, there are three conjugations:
- 1st conjugation: ending "-ar"
- 2nd conjugation: ending “-er”
- 3rd conjugation: ending "-ir"
Check out the explanations below and learn more about Spanish verb conjugation.
1st conjugation: verbs ending in "-ar"
Example of 1st conjugation regular verb: judging (to play; to play).
| Indicative mode | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Gift yo game |
Past Imperfect or Copreterite yo jugaba |
Simple Conditional or Postpreterite yo jugaría |
|
Past tense Perfecto Simple or Past yo jugue |
simple future or Future yo jugaré |
| Subjunctive Mode | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Gift (that) yo play |
Past Imperfect or Past (si) yo jugara/jugase |
Simple Future or Future (when) yo jugare |
| Imperative mode |
|---|
juega/juga you |
| Non-personal shapes | |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | judging |
| Gerund | judging |
| Participle | yoke |
Other irregular verbs in the 1st conjugation:
| List of Irregular Spanish Verbs | |
|---|---|
| to hit now walk shame hang up tell to give empezar |
root err be force drop off accomplish to withdraw to exchange |
2nd conjugation: verbs ending in "-er"
Example of 2nd conjugation regular verb: to see
| Indicative mode | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Gift yo video |
Past Imperfect or Copreterite yo come/bias |
Simple Conditional or Postpreterite you would see |
|
Past tense Perfecto Simple or Past I saw |
Simple Future or Future yo veré |
| Subjunctive Mode | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Gift (that) you see |
Past Imperfect or Past (if) yo viera/biase |
Simple Future or Future (when) yo comere |
| Imperative mode |
|---|
see you |
| Non-personal shapes | |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | to see |
| Gerund | coming |
| Participle | visa |
Now that you know what verb conjugation is like in Spanish, get to know other irregular verbs ending in -er:
Other irregular verbs in the 2nd conjugation:
| List of Irregular Spanish Verbs | |
|---|---|
|
|
3rd conjugation: verbs ending in "-ir"
Example of 2nd conjugation regular verb: decide (to say)
| Indicative mode | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Gift I say |
Past Imperfect or Copreterite yo decia |
Simple Conditional or Postpreterite yo would say |
|
Past tense Perfecto Simple or Past yo say |
Simple Future or Future yo dire |
| Subjunctive Mode | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Gift (what) yo say |
Past Imperfect or Past (si) yo dijera/dijese |
Simple Future or Future (when) yo dijere |
| Imperative mode |
|---|
di/deci you |
| Non-personal shapes | |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | decide |
| Gerund | diciendo |
| Participle | dicho |
IMPORTANT: the nomenclature Indefinite Past has already been presented by RAE, but was renamed Past tense Perfecto Simple.
Other irregular verbs in the 3rd conjugation:
| List of Irregular Spanish Verbs | |
|---|---|
| purchase argue scenir lead to drive discern distinguish to sleep elect lift up hervir |
huir golucir hello predeceive grieve get out follow serve come bray |
Irregular Participle in Spanish
The verbs in the participle can be used as an adjective or in the formation of compound verbs.
Examples:
- I am tired out de hablar siempre de lo mismo. (I'm tired of talking about it all the time.) - tired out is the participle of the verb tire and, in the sentence, it has the function of an adjective.
- this game me there istired out. (This game tired me out.) - ha tired is a compound verb.
In the Spanish language, as well as in Portuguese, the participles can be regular or irregular.
Regular participles maintain a pattern:
- 1st conjugation verbs have the participle ending in -ado;
- 2nd conjugation verbs have the participle ending in -ido;
- 3rd conjugation verbs have the participle ending in -ido;
Examples:
- Verb: hablar > regular participle: hablado
- Verb: eat > regular participle: eaten
- Verb: depart > regular participle: departed
Irregular participles change their endings and, despite not following any model, they can be grouped into some more frequent endings. Are they: -to, -çho and -so.
Below is a list of regular and irregular Spanish verbs and their respective participles.
| Verb | Participle |
|---|---|
|
|
Video
Now that you've seen the Spanish verb tables, watch the video below and see how to do the conjugation of some irregular verbs in the present tense in Spanish (verbs close [close], serve [serve] and choose [to choose]).
Exercises
Do the exercises below and test your knowledge of Spanish verbs.
1. Yo (elect) __________ esos books.
a) elected
b) elections
c) elect
d) elected
Correct alternative: a) elected
Note that the subject of the sentence is “yo” (I), first person singular.
The only alternative that has a first-person verb form is alternative a).
See below which verbal people the other alternatives correspond to:
b) election: you
c) elegieren: ellos/ellas/ustedes
d) elected: vosotros/vosotras
2. In the hostel (serve) __________ the almuerzo a las candy.
a) serve
b) service
c) servings
d) sirvan
Correct alternative: a) serve
Note that the sentence above refers to an action that takes place in the present.
Therefore, alternatives b) and c) are discarded because:
b) sirvió: verb form of the Past Perfecto Simple (Indicative).
c) serviels: Verb form of the Simple Future (Indicative).
There remain alternatives a) and d), where a) is a verbal form of the indicative mode and d) is a verbal form of the subjunctive mode.
The subjunctive mode is used to indicate a possibility, an uncertain fact in the present.
In the quoted sentence there is no hint of uncertainty, on the contrary. There is a claim that lunch is served at midday.
Therefore, alternative a) is correct.
3. Ellos (to think) __________ siempre en ti.
a) floor
b) piensan
c) think
d) would think
Correct alternative: b) piensan
The subject of the sentence is “ellos” (they), so the verb to complete the sentence must be conjugated in the third person plural.
For this reason, alternative b) is the only correct option.
Learn more about the verbal person to which the other alternatives correspond:
a) pienso: yo
c) thinkels: vosotros/vosotras
d) would think: yo
4. You (to dream) __________ with a better world.
a) soñaba
b) sonaré
c) swine
d) suenas
Correct alternative: d) sueñas
The subject of the sentence is “tú”, so the verb to complete the sentence must be conjugated in the second person singular.
For this reason, alternative d) is the only correct option.
Learn more about the verbal person to which the other alternatives correspond:
a) soñaba: yo/él/ella/usted
b) sonaré: yo
c) sueno: yo
5. Yo no (know) __________ Barcelona.
a) with you
b) know
c) with you
d) get to know
Correct alternative: c) with us
The subject of the sentence is “yo” (eu), so the verb to complete the sentence must be conjugated in the first person singular.
For this reason, alternative c) is the only correct option.
Learn more about the verbal person to which the other alternatives correspond:
a) with: he/she/usted
b) know: you
d) know: yo/usted/él/ella
Read too: Indefinite past tense in Spanish (simple perfect past tense)
